Warp-knitting frame



R. RUFF March 17, 1931.

WARP KNITTING FRAME Filed Aug. 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l lnvenfor: ELL/7 'IIIIII/ IIIIIIII.

III/III March 17, 1931. R RUFF 1,796,579

WARP KNI TTI NG FRAME Filed Aug. 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fly 4. y,

Inventor:

Patented Mar. 17, 1931 V PATENT OFFICE .RUDOLF RUPF, OF APOLDA, GERMANYWARP-KNITTING FRAME Application filed August 18, 1927, Serial No.213,891, and in Germany .Tune 5, 1926.

The present invention relates to a warp knitting frame with weftknitting facilities, that is to say, a machine by which a new textileand knitted fabric comprising warp thread and weft thread meshes can bemanufactured.

The endeavor to produce an elastic textile or knitted fabric comprisingvertically running warp threads and a horizontally runmm; weft threadhas led to the construction of a machine which solves this problem bycombining a flat knitting machine with individually movable needles anda warp knitting machine controlling the warp threads.

It should however be taken into consideration that the needles formingthe meshes snecessively also successively exert a tension on the warpthreads beamed on a warp beam. As the warp beam must be braked in orderto keep the warp threads stretched, it will not be able to give theindividual threads the length necessary for the formation of the mes esbut this requisite length can only be attained by a further stretchingof the individual, already tensioncd threads. In this manner, however,the warp loops will be tightened to such an extent that it cannot bedrawn or only with difliculty over the head of the needle and that theknitted fabric receives an undesired firmness. If the tension of athread were sufficient to overcome the braking power of the warp beambrake and to turn the warp beam, the warp threads which are not yetworked into meshes would hang loose and be without the necessary threadtension. In eontradistinction thereto, the meshes, according to thepresent invention, are not formed singly and successively but all at thesame time and in full working width of the machine. All warp threadsalso exert at the same time the tension (arising from the formation ofthe meshes) on the braked warp beam and thesum of tension forces exertedon each thread is greater than the braking power of the warp beam brake.

The warp beam turns to the extent of the requisite threadlength. Inorder, however,

to enable all the needles which are provided 1 with a latch to be drawndown simultaneousl and thereby to form the double meshes, eac

individual needle must receive a weft loop thread. This is effected bythe individually movable sinkers guided in the sinker bed, which sinkerspress the thread between the needles and keep it in this position untilall needles are retracted, whereupon the depth of the loop incombination with a braking power acting on the warp-beam influences thefirmness of the knitted fabric.

The operating stages of the present invention are as follows:

1. All needles are raised (Fig. 2).

2. The warp threads guided through the warp thread guides are pressedaround the needles (Fig. 3).

3. The sinker bed is advanced and receded at will by a connection withthe sinker board.

4. The sinkers loop the horizontal or weft thread between the needles(Fig. 4) actuated by the sinker cam traversing the needle-bed 7 behindthe weft yarn around the needles.

5. The needles are retracted together (Fig. 5).

6. The sinker bed recedes.

The warp thread guides lap the warp 7 threads around the latch-needlesin the same manner as in the case of the Raschel machine.

The sinkers being operated by a slide f press the weft thread, that hasbeen brought into its correct position by the thread guides, between thevertically movable latch-needles. The needle bar draws the warp and weftthreads now located together under the hook of the latch-needle,downwards in unison, and accordingly forms a double mesh. The needleshave now reached a position where the tension wire 12 does not keep thelatches open any longer and the latter close. The meshes formed in thepreceding cycle are cast off over the head of the latch-needles by thestripping member. The needle again moves upwards and during this ascentthe finished fabric pulls down the meshes which are then under the hookof the needles, wl1ercby the latches are opened. When the needles havereached their highest position wherein the next operation begins themeshes are under the latch while the latches which have the tendency toclose are held open by the tension wire 72. m0

The patterning of the fabric is effected by means of a jacquard cylinderwith pattern plates put on, by the latter being fitted on directlyunderneath the latch needle bed, and owing to recessed apertures, notraising individual needles or groups of needles into working position,while at the same time, by means of chain links running over a chaindrum, the placing of the warp threads guided through warp thread guidesis effected. Said chain links act on a lever which rocks the jacquardcylinder.

Figure 1 shows the warp knitting frame in cross section.

Figures 2 to 6 illustrate the successive positions of the threadedguide, sinkers and needles.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic plan of the manner in which the sinkers acton the threads.

The needle-beds a moved up and down by the needle-bars (1 guide thelatch needles I) which are raised by the jacquard rollers a actuated byeccentrics or cams 0. When the latch-needles b are in the hi hestposition, the warp threads m deliveref from the warp beam is by the warpthread guides Z are lapped around the latch needles 6 by the lappingdevice in the same way as in the case of the Raschel machine. Wheneverthe needles are not raised into the operating position by the jacquardrollers no meshes are formed. Reference gu, shown in dotted lines inFig. 1 is the pattern chain drum of the known kind. The sinker bed i,which is guided on guide rods and is actuated by suitable means, nowmoves forward and passes the sinkers h between the needles I), whereuponthe threadguide 0 is guided past the row of needles I) by a slide f andplaces the weft thread on the needles 6; the slide 7 also actuates thesinkers h which are subject to the pressure of the spring 9 in such away that the sinkers are pushed back by means of wedge-shaped segments,similar to those employed on the knitting machine, immediately after thethread-guide 6 passes them, so as to allow free passage for thethread-guide. Immediately after the passage of the thread-guide c thesinkers are pressed back into their initial positions by means of thesprings g and thus loop the weft thread that just has been passed alongthe row of needles between the .latter and form open loops.

After the weft thread has been laid in over the whole working width ofthe machine and consequently a warp-thread loop and a weftthread looplie together under the hook of each needle, which is raised into workingposition by the jacquard cylinder, the needles b are drawn down by theneedle bar d which is operated by eccentrics or cams n. The needles I)have now reached the po sition b in which the tension wire does notclose the latches any more and the latter, consequently, close themeshes of the preceding cycle are stripped off over the head of theneedles by the stripping comb. The jacquard roller 0 the path of whichis governed by eccentrics or cams 0 reaches the position 0, see Fig. 1.

Figure 2 shows the sinkers h which are returned after the yarn'guide hasbrought the weft thread in front of the sinkers, the sinkers are pressedforward by the spring 9 so that the sinkers press the weft threadbetween the latch needles where it remains in this position until allneedles are simultaneously drawn back b the needle bar and consequentlythe we t threads pressed between the needles are brought from thesinkers under the hook.

Figure 3 illustrates the instant at which the spring 9 has moved thesinker h between the latch-needles I) and placed the weft thread to theloop.

The warp thread guide has lapped the warp thread around the latch needle7) according to Figure 4.

Figure 5 shows the meshes being cast off and the latch closed by thetension wire p.

Figure 6 shows the latch needles b in their lowest working position intheir guiding bed a, which is provided at the upper end with a strippingcomb.

The patterning of the fabric is effected by the jacquard cylinders 0,provided with pattern plates, for the weft threads, in connection withthe transposition of the warp thread guides Z occasioned by the chainlinks running u on the drum 9% positively connected wit the main shaftby toothed-wheel and bevel-wheel transmission gearing.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in What manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1. A warp knitting machine comprising a plurality oflatch needles, a guide frame for said needles, means for laying a weftthread on said needles, a sinker bar, a plurality of individuallymovable weft sinkers mounted on said bar, spring means for normallyholding said sinkers in cooperative relation with said needles to holdthe weft thread therebetween, a reciprocating cam member forsuccessively withdrawing said sinkers, means for guiding warp threadsaround said needles, and means for simultaneously lowering all of saidneedles to form double loops.

2. A warp knitting frame having weft knitting facilities, comprisingwarp thread guides adapted to place warp threads around simultaneouslyraised latch needles, weft sinkers adapted to loop weft threads betweensaid needles, a sinker bed, springs actuating the weft sinkers andguiding the same in the sinker bed, a wedge shaped member adapted towithdraw the weft-sinkers singly in advance of the passage of the weftthread guide and subsequently returning said sinkers after

